Light-Cured Bone Patch Could Eliminate Screws and Plates

Researchers as the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm say that new material, inspired by dental reconstruction methods, is stronger than dental filler itself. The patch should also help address the problem of setting an adhesive within the human body's moist environment.

Specifically, the research team reports that the new bone adhesive, which mixes the stiff, load-bearing aspects of dental resin composites with the adhesive power of self-etching primer, was successfully used on rats.

The method of curing the material is the same one used by dentists who employ a violet light when finishing a tooth repair. This technique hardens the composite material. The technical name for the chemical process is thiol–ene coupling (TEC), which guarantees a bonding response when water is present.

In fact, says Michael Malkoch, Professor of Fiber and Polymer Technology at KTH, use of the pioneering adhesive patch results in bonding power 55 percent greater than commercial dental bonding adhesive -- which makes the material a valuable alternative to plates and screws.

"We have finally managed to identify a surgically-realizable adhesive to fix bone fractures,” Malkoch says. “The chemistry, materials and methodology we used result in extraordinary adhesion and fixation to the wet bone, which in most cases is incredibly difficult.”

To create a workable patch, a layer of fiber is positioned on the area to be treated and, on top of that, a layer of adhesive is added. To complete the five-minute procedure, an LED light is implemented for the TEC curing.

"We believe that the new findings will lead to a paradigm shift in fracture treatment," says Malkoch, "which in the future can phase out a large portion of today’s metal plates and screws.”

Jim began writing for newspapers and designing for publishing companies at a time when both industries were just beginning to make the switch from manual to digital platforms. Jim lives in Boulder, Colorado with his teenage son.

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Ana Embry-Congdon's writing began with a Quantcast Top 35 website, and over the years evolved to working exclusively with mid-large size companies providing professional copywriting and social media needs. Embry-Congdon studied journalism with an emphasis in public relations from California State University, Chico. She lives in Portland with her husband and toddler son.

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Jim began writing for newspapers and designing for publishing companies at a time when both industries were just beginning to make the switch from manual to digital platforms. Jim lives in Boulder, Colorado with his teenage son.

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Stephanie is a freelance writer and novelist whose work has appeared on NYPost.com, PSMag.com, the Intuit Small Business Blog, and many others. She is the Simon & Schuster author of 8 children's books, including the Piper Morgan chapter book series, 25 Roses, and 30 Days of No Gossip.